Family
by x snow-pony x
Summary: Tracy/ Mike set in series 3 episode 10 'Going Home' (not 'Chain Reaction' for once! XD). Elektra tells Tracy that she hasn't got a clue about families because she never had one, which sparks off a whole series of events... Please review!


**A/N I had this idea for a Tracy/ Mike one-shot a little while ago, but I never wrote it, so I thought I'd write it now. This is set in series 3 episode 10 'Going Home', starting at the scene where Tracy and Elektra come back from Elektra's parents' house.**

 **Tracy POV**

As Elektra went up the stairs Mike turned to me, a questioning look on his face. I shook my head: it hadn't gone well at all, and Elektra's comment still cut through me.

"But you haven't got a clue. Because you never had one."

And she was right.

I'd never had a family.

I fought the urge not to cry: I needed to tell Mike what had happened with Elektra, and then if he had time I could tell him what she'd said.

But it was hard.

When it was hurting me so much.

"Should we go and talk in the office?" Mike asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I nodded, before I went to the office and sat down on the drawer cabinet next to Mike's desk.

"What happened?" he asked.

I sighed. "They started off by trying, really trying, like they gave her a veggie lasagna because she used to be a vegetarian, and everything was going really well."

"But then?" Mike asked.

"They started talking about the wedding, and then her mum wanted to take the blue out of her hair for it." I sighed. "It basically all started going downhill from there."

"How?" asked Mike.

"Well, we went up to her room, and we had a chat, and then when we went back downstairs they told us that they'd told Harvey that Elektra was away at school, and not to say anything about her being in care."

Mike sighed.

"And then she said they only wanted her for the wedding to show her off and then get rid of her again, and then they blamed her for upsetting everyone, and then there was some shouting and then she walked out, so I followed her and then brought her back." I looked down to the floor and then back up at Mike. "She wasn't happy about it."

"I'll talk to her later, give her a chance to calm down first," said Mike. He then noticed me, staring at the floor. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, desperately trying to stop the tear that was trying to escape my eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said. "I'm fine."

"Did Elektra say something?" asked Mike.

I gave a small nod. "She said it was all my fault."

"Of course it wasn't your fault," said Mike. "You know that, don't you?"

I nodded again.

"Then why are you so upset?" asked Mike.

I took a deep breath. "Because she also said that I didn't have a clue about families because I never had one." I let a few tears roll down my cheeks. "And she was right."

"Oh, Tracy," said Mike, coming over and putting his hand on my shoulder. "Of course she wasn't."

I looked up at him angrily. "You tell me why I was in care all those years then?!"

I immediately regretted shouting as I saw Mike's face, but I was hurting.

"Tell me why I was in care for six years if I had a family," I said, tears running down my cheeks. "Tell me. Please."

Mike sighed. "Because your family wasn't with your mum," he said. "It was with us."

"But you're not my real family!" I said, frustrated.

I saw anger flash over Mike's face. "Fine, if that's how you feel..." He trailed off, before leaving the room.

And then I realised I'd made a mistake.

"Mike, wait!" I said. I jumped off the cabinet, and then followed Mike out into the hall.

"Look, Tracy, just leave it, yeah?" he said. "Elektra shouldn't have said what she said, and I'll talk to her about it later, but if you don't want us as your family then you'll have to go and find someone else."

"But I do!" I said. Tears began to make their way down my cheeks again. "Please, Mike. I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry."

But for once it looked like Mike wasn't going to forgive my mistake. He just shook his head, and then walked down the stairs into the kitchen, leaving me standing in the hall.

I wiped away my tears and took a deep breath, before I turned around and went into the office.

* * *

The next morning I walked into the dumping ground. As I shut the door behind me I hoped that Mike would have forgiven me.

But as soon as I walked into the office it was obvious he hadn't.

"Morning, Tracy," he said as he looked up and saw me.

But there was no happiness in his voice that was usually there. He sounded like he didn't care.

But then again maybe he didn't.

Because maybe I'd hurt him too much.

"Mike, I'm so sorry," I said. "Really, I am. I didn't mean what I said yesterday."

Mike was about to answer when there was some shouting from the hall.

We both ran towards it, and found Elektra and Johnny on the floor.

Mike pulled Elektra up, before I took her arm and pulled her away, whilst Mike grabbed Johnny.

"Back off, Johnny," I said, pointing at him, showing I was angry.

Mike gave me an angry look, probably for interfering with Johnny when I was supposed to be sorting out Elektra, before he took Johnny upstairs. As Elektra went into the living room I looked after him, tears in my eyes, before I followed Elektra.

"You OK?" I asked as I walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. I was still upset, but I had to do my job and make sure Elektra was OK.

Tee and Carmen then walked in, and started talking to Elektra. Carmen asked if her parents had kicked her out of the wedding, and said that if they had then it wasn't her fault and it didn't mean she'd done anything wrong.

 _Not like me, then,_ I thought, thinking about how I'd treated Mike. I felt tears come to my eyes but quickly put on a smile, knowing I couldn't show my feelings.

Carmen then started listing all the things that would have happened at the wedding, and I quickly out my hand on her shoulder, telling her that was enough. So she finished her speech by telling Elektra that she understood, and she didn't have to pretend she wasn't bothered.

And then Elektra cut through me again.

"I'm not bothered," she said. "Weddings are fake, and pointless," she stood up, "and they're just an excuse to have kids," she nodded at me, "that you're probably going to hate anyway."

And then everything got too much.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I rested my head on my hand, trying not to let Carmen and Tee see I was crying.

"Tracy?" asked Carmen. "Are you alright?"

I gave a quick nod, before I got up and left the room.

Mike was heading to the office at the same time as me, and as he saw me he saw my tears.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I quickly nodded.

"What happened?" Mike asked.

"Elektra just said she didn't care about the wedding or anything like that," I said. "I think she does care really, but she's not going to show it."

Mike sighed as he went into the office and sat down on a chair.

"Mike," I said, being careful not to upset him further.

"Yes?" he said.

"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," I said. "I didn't mean it, and I shouldn't have said any of it."

Mike looked at me. "Tracy, sometimes I feel I was wrong to give you this job."

"What?" I said, slightly shocked.

"Because it's too close to your heart," he said. "And so sometimes you get upset."

I gave a small nod.

"And then you realise you're just like all of the kids here," Mike continued. "And that we're your only family."

I nodded again, giving a small, hopeful smile.

"And then you decide that actually we're not your real family, and you hurt the people who looked after you for years just so you would have somewhere to live where you would be cared for," said Mike. He gave me a look that was a mixture of anger and hurt before he got up and left the room.

I sighed as he closed the door behind him. I hadn't known that I'd upset Mike so much by what I'd said. I didn't know why he was so upset, or what I could do about it.

But I did know one thing.

I had to put it right.

* * *

Two days later I walked into the office. Mike had had the day off yesterday, and everything had gone horribly wrong. Melissa had turned up with a present for Elektra, and then told her that she could still come to the wedding.

And then Elektra had dropped the bombshell.

She'd cancelled it.

Everything had gone downhill from there. Melissa had called the wedding planners who said they'd had another booking, and then they'd had an argument, ending with Melissa calling Elektra a selfish brat, and saying she didn't deserve a family.

It had been absolutely awful.

However, it had given me an idea.

A way to get Mike to forgive me.

"Morning," I said as I entered the office and put my coat on a peg.

"Hi," said Mike, not even looking up from his paperwork.

"Mike," I said, sitting down on a chair. "Do you think everyone deserves a family?"

"Of course they do," said Mike, still not looking up. "Everyone deserves a family that loves them and is there for them."

"Even if they're horrible to their family?" I asked, looking down at the floor.

And then Mike looked up.

And he gave a small smile.

"I was thinking about that yesterday," he said. "And I realised I have been a bit unfair on you."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

Mike gave me a smile.

And then I couldn't control myself any longer.

I jumped up, ran over to Mike, and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him the biggest hug I could. I heard him chuckle as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Mike," I said. "I know you're my real family now."

Mike gently patted my back. "I'm sorry too. I should have known you didn't mean it, I just, it hurt, you know?"

I nodded: I knew exactly how Mike had felt.

"Anyway," said Mike, "that doesn't matter anymore." He paused. "Friends?"

I pulled away and shook my head. "No." I gave a smile. "Family."

 **A/N Hope you liked it! When I first planned it, it wasn't supposed to be like this, but I just started writing and I wrote the bit where they fell out, which I hadn't planned at all! I then went through the episode, watching all the Tracy/ Mike (and just Tracy) bits, and I realised something: my one-shot and the episode actually worked together! Whenever they were together I would look at their faces, and Mike looked angry at Tracy at one point (just after the Johnny/ Elektra fight), and then as he left Tracy watched him looking sad, and then in the scene after actually looked really upset! And then in the last scene I watched them, and (only after watching it LOADS) I realised that when Tracy said that Melissa had forgiven Elektra, Mike and Tracy looked at each other. (Well, that bit I realise the first time.) But that was because that was when Mike had forgiven Tracy. And it was just like OMG, this episode is actually written for my one-shot, and it was really weird, and yeah. It was cool! :-D**

 **Oh, and the ending just randomly came to me. I wrote the bit where Mike said it didn't matter, and then suddenly I had a great idea and I just had to write it! And I'm actually really proud of that end.**

 **And I've also just remembered, the cover picture is a screenshot from when I was going through that episode and realised one of Tracy's sad faces would be great as the cover. I did 5 screenshots in total. XD**

 **Anyway, I'll shut up now. XD Hope you liked it, please review (as not many people do, but every time I get a review it really makes my day, and I'm thankful to everyone (Linneagb) who reviews my stories regularly)! :-D**


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